| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from From the Earth to the Moon by Jules Verne: to the stem, and buried itself in the waves with a deafening roar!
A few feet nearer, and the Susquehanna would have foundered with
all on board!
At this instant Captain Blomsberry appeared, half-dressed, and
rushing on to the forecastle-deck, whither all the officers had
hurried, exclaimed, "With your permission, gentlemen, what
has happened?"
And the midshipman, making himself as it were the echo of the
body, cried, "Commander, it is `they' come back again!"
CHAPTER XXI
J. T. MASTON RECALLED
From the Earth to the Moon |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Somebody's Little Girl by Martha Young: the child learn that, do you suppose?''
And Sister Theckla said: ``She is older than the others. She must
have learned it at home!''
And Sister Angela and Sister Theckla came into the room and they
said: ``See, now, what you have done to the windows!''
Sure enough, when the little girls looked at the windows the glass
was all dim and blurred with little damp finger-prints!
* * *
* *
*
It was one day as the sun shone as it did shine most days, that the
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Wrong Box by Stevenson & Osbourne: had any manners I should have opened the box first and smashed my
hand afterward. It feels much better,' he added. 'I assure you it
does.'
'And now I think you are well enough to direct operations,' said
she. 'Tell me what to do, and I'll be your workman.'
'A very pretty workman,' said Gideon, rather forgetting himself.
She turned and looked at him, with a suspicion of a frown; and
the indiscreet young man was glad to direct her attention to the
packing-case. The bulk of the work had been accomplished; and
presently Julia had burst through the last barrier and disclosed
a zone of straw. in a moment they were kneeling side by side,
|
The fourth excerpt represents the element of Earth. It speaks of physical influences and the impact of the unseen on the visible world, and is drawn from The Battle of the Books by Jonathan Swift: ill prophet nor an ill counsellor; for it was nothing else but the
neglect of this caution which gave occasion to the terrible fight
that happened on Friday last between the Ancient and Modern Books
in the King's library. Now, because the talk of this battle is so
fresh in everybody's mouth, and the expectation of the town so
great to be informed in the particulars, I, being possessed of all
qualifications requisite in an historian, and retained by neither
party, have resolved to comply with the urgent importunity of my
friends, by writing down a full impartial account thereof.
The guardian of the regal library, a person of great valour, but
chiefly renowned for his humanity, had been a fierce champion for
|
